Making Memories with an Epic Hike in St. Kitts

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!

St. Kitts Hiking – To the Top of a Caribbean Volcano

The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis Islands commonly referred to as “SKN”, is a two-island nation, part of the Caribbean’s Lesser Antilles’ Leeward Islands. St Kitts, as it’s typically referred to, and Nevis are the tops of a submerged volcanic mountain range, covered with rolling green folds of volcanic peaks and lush valleys. With more than a quarter of the islands protected as National Parks and with half a dozen mountains reaching above 1,500 feet (500m), I was excited to hike there. We decided to take on the highest peak on St Kitts, Mount Liamuiga (formerly known as Mount Misery). This dormant stratovolcano stands 3,792 feet (1,156 m) above sea level, making it the highest point of all the Leeward Islands – A bucket-list adventure hike for sure!

We were picked up by a local tour operator at Basseterre’s Port Zante, where our Cruise Ship was docked for the day and headed through town then up the west coast. Before leaving the outskirts of town, we stopped at a local supermarket and waited while our guide picked up some snacks. I thought that was kind of strange, but when on the islands you just have to roll with it… It was an interesting drive along the west coast of St. Kitts. We enjoyed some great views of the Caribbean Sea along with getting to see what life is like on the island when we went through a number of modest villages. It was a fairly slow drive, as the small road was full of twists and turns and we encountered several bog downs in each village. While my gaze was usually out to sea, I also glanced inland whenever we were directed to do so as we passed major St. Kitts attractions, such as the Fairview Greathouse, Romney Manor and the imposing Brimstone Fortress.

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!

About a little more than half an hour after leaving the Island’s capital, we were in the village of Newton Ground. At this point, we headed inland up a series of narrow and rough roads. There were beautiful flowering plants on the sides of the road which made the bumpy ride more enjoyable. As we approached the base of the volcano, my excitement grew with anticipation of the pending climb. We parked near the trailhead located at the south/east end of town. With the majestic volcano towering in front of us and the glistening blue Caribbean Sea with the island of St. Eustatius in view behind us, we headed off into the woods.


St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!

The hike started on a mild but gradual incline with the trail twisting and turning like we were on a large rounded switchback. Early in the hike the trail suddenly plunged into a large trench, probably caused by some ancient volcanic activity and/or torrential rains over the years. Along the trail, the jungle was fairly dense, filled with amazing gommier and banyan trees as well as curtains of vines everywhere. What really stood out to me on this hike was the crazy exposed tree roots – I’ve never seen so many, large tree root systems before in my entire life. While these roots actually helped in some areas by giving traction to climb steep parts of the trail, they also made it a bit dangerous as we had to watch that we didn’t trip over them – I could easily picture someone taking a header and face-planting into the ground.

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!


St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!

Our local hiking guide clearly knew the flora well as he pointed out a number of plants and trees along the way, explaining their uses in traditional medicines – Cures for everything from nasal congestion and indigestion, to arthritis – I loved the familiar scent of the eucalyptus for sure! He also explained how we were travelling from a woodland area, through a rainforest jungle, to a dwarfed cloud forest at the top of the volcano. Although we did not see any of St. Kitts and Nevis’ famous monkeys, we could hear them chattering from time to time, so we knew they were around us. The trail was well worn, composed mostly of dry dirt and rocks, although I understand that it can be dangerously muddy and slick when it rains.


After hiking at a leisurely but steady pace for about an hour and a half we stopped for a break. Our guide gave us some sort of sweet bread that he had picked up earlier. Now I was happy that he had stopped – It was delicious! He also threw some bread onto the ground, which I thought was kind of inappropriate, but lo and behold, it wasn’t long before a mongoose appeared to snack on the crumbs. While I’m not a fan of feeding wild animals, I had never seen a mongoose before, so I felt a mix of guilty pleasure as I watched the creature darting around! Well, it was time to get back to our enjoyable ‘up-hill’ hike.

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!


Active Caribbean Travel - The Best Hiking Trails on St. KitSt. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!ts and Nevis

From here on, the hike got much steeper and challenging, with a few really cool near-vertical sections that tested our cardio and leg strength as well as our coordination. After about 45 minutes or so we eventually reached the ridge of the volcano. Wow – We could actually see down inside the natural structure. The insides of the volcano were a lush blanket of greenery, made up mostly of small shrubs and plants. We could also see a large patch of sulfur vents at the bottom of the crater, along with a small pool of (rain) water. I was wondering – how many people are fortunate enough to see inside a Volcano while vacationing in the Caribbean? It was a uniquely spectacular view, and with a cool cloud-filled breeze constantly blowing around us, it was a surreal experience! Fortunately, we had enough breaks in the cloud cover to get a good view of the crater. Our guide told us that some really adventurous people, with more time, the proper equipment as well as mountain climbing experience, have descended the thousand feet (300m) into the crater to walk the bottom. That would be intense.

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!
The crater

Mist from the clouds rolled in pretty heavy at this stage. I should mention that we did not actually go to the highest point, as the volcano peak was, as usual, shrouded in cloud cover. Our guide informed us that we wouldn’t be able to see anything. That said, I suspect it would have only taken another 20 minutes or so to get to and from the top. I can imagine that on a clear day, the panoramic views of the island from there would be absolutely sensational.

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!

It is the same trail down, although we traversed it much quicker than the hike up. Feeling giddy from our accomplishment of making it to the top, we were kind-of playful and decided to race down a short section of the trail… until that is, my momentum was taking me out of control. Glad I got that out of my system without rolling an ankle or tumbling down the side of the volcano! That said, for the most part we were extra careful on the descent, being very mindful of all those roots and rocks sticking out of the ground. The trail sure looks different on the way down! There were a couple of near-vertical sections where we literally slid down on our butts, in order to avoid tumbling uncontrollably down the hill. While this is a pretty popular activity on the island, we only came across one other group the day we were there. As part of a group with varied physical conditions and hiking experience, it took us just under 5 hours for a leisurely-paced hike up and down the volcano.

St. Kitts Hiking on the Mount Liamuiga volcano trail is a great uphill hike featuring woodlands, rainforest, cloud forest and looking down into a volcano crater!

Well, I have to say that I really enjoyed this excellent ‘up-hill’ hike – It is probably one of my all-time favourites! This is what I had imagined a hike up a volcano on a Caribbean island would be like. Winding our way through a tropical forest up a mountainside, reaching the top and peering down into an open crater. This thrilling hike did not disappoint. I found the hiking quite comfortable in some sections, strenuous in others, and I was constantly fascinated by the varying environment.

Want to see more? Check out our Hiking Mount Liamuiga Volcano Trail video on YouTube!

ACT Staff

For a more ‘technical’ Trail Report as well as much more information on hiking in St. Kitts & Nevis, please reference the following links (to pages on our website):

For an overview of the beautiful “Sister islands”, take a look at our St. Kitts & Nevis Vacations page

If you’re looking for more active things to do while vacationing on the islands, click on our St. Kitts & Nevis Adventures blog for more great ideas!

For a more relaxed vacation itinerary, you can find great Tourist Attractions on the islands, by checking out our Things to Do in St. Kitts & Nevis blog

For more information on the Caribbean’s Tallest Mountains, check out our Caribbean Peaks blog post

Why Grenada is our #1 Caribbean vacation destination right now

Visit Grenada to escape a long COVID winter

If you’re thinking about escaping the cold and grey winter for a warm and sunny Caribbean vacation the next month or so, I’m sure you’re not alone.  But let’s be honest, we’re probably all just a bit hesitant to travel anywhere right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both from a personal health concern, as well as having to deal with the associated restrictions imposed on the travel industry right now.

Visit Grenada to escape a long COVID winter

For me, it’s a mental tug-of-war…  Should I travel or not?  I really want to spend time outdoors feeling the warmth of the Caribbean sun, but I don’t want to get sick and be a risk to others. Well, one thing is for sure – If I’m going to get on an airplane during this pandemic, the destination better be worth it 😉!

Things to do in Grenada

Thinking about the Caribbean, one island stands out to me right now – Grenada! The Spice Island has always attracted me with its uncrowded natural beauty and a long list of fun and exciting things to do.  Yes, Grenada has dozens of wonderful sandy beaches, however I’m looking to experience another tropical hike to one of the island’s many waterfalls, and snorkel the warm Caribbean sea where I can see a unique underwater sculpture park. I would also like to visit Grenada’s historical sites, chocolate factories and a rum distillery or two!

I’ve done my research of the Caribbean, and from a Covid-19 perspective, there are a number of things about Grenada which makes it very attractive right now.  First of all, the island has one of the lowest numbers of Covid-19 cases (*1) in the Caribbean and secondly, Grenada is doing a great job in outlining their travel guidelines in a clear and easy to understand way. They even have a cool Grenadian name for it – Pure Safe Travel.  I’m impressed with how professional everything appears to be managed. It’s also nice that there are direct flights to Grenada from Toronto (my home airport) right now. [UPDATE Feb. 5 2021 – Canada has essentially banned travel to the Caribbean for a while, however Grenada will be my first choice once we can travel again].

One of my favourite aspects about an early 2021 Grenada vacation is that tourists are allowed to enjoy what the island has to offer, once we successfully pass an on-island PCR test after an initial 4-day hotel quarantine.  I love to explore Caribbean islands, enjoying tourist attractions and experiencing local adventures – The last thing I want is to be stuck at the hotel for the whole vacation.  Staying safe in Grenada is made easy with the Ministry of Health’s approved “Pure Safe Accommodations” list – We’re talking over 50 places to stay on the island, including hotels, villas, cottages, resorts, lodges, and even apartments.

The Grenada Authorities has also provided a list of “Pure Safe Attractions” and another list of “Pure Safe Tourism Services”.  Visitors can experience everything from a chocolate factory/store, rum distillery, spice/flower gardens and estates as well as nature/forest reserves.  There are also national parks with waterfalls along with historic Fort Frederick.  For the more adventurous (like me), there’s snorkeling & diving, kayaking, stand-up-paddle-boarding, water-skiing, wakeboarding/tubing, sailing, and boating as well as golfing to be enjoyed.

Things to do in Grenada

Of course, just like the rules you probably have at home, every visitor to Grenada is expected to comply with local COVID-19 related regulations when in public places – This includes wearing a facemask, practicing physical distancing along with plenty of hand washing/sanitizing.  Here are some of the things visitors to Grenada can expect with the current COVID-19 regulations.

  • Obtain a Pure Safe Travel Certificate in order to visit Grenada
  • Provide results of a negative COVID-19 PCR test 3 days before travel to the island
  • Show proof of a 7-day (or more) reservation at an approved Pure Safe Accommodation
  • Download Grenada’s contact tracing app and register prior to travel (Currently only available for Samsung users / iPhone users are currently exempt from this requirement)
  • Undergo a health screening on arrival (symptom review, temperature checks, and testing if deemed necessary)
  • Undergo an on-island PCR test on day 4 of your visit. This allows you to enjoy more of what the island has to offer (Day 1 starts the day after your arrival in Grenada)

For more detailed information about Grenada’s COVID-19 requirements, please carefully review the instructions found at the Grenada Ministry of Health’s official website:

https://www.gov.gd/

This website also includes the links you’ll need to fulfill all travel requirements to enter Grenada.


For a more detailed look at ‘Pure Grenada’, along with fun ideas for things to do on the islands, take a look at our Grenada Vacations page

For more of what the Caribbean has to offer, check out our Caribbean Excursions page…

If you’re looking for the best Caribbean island to experience your favourite outdoor activity, check out our Caribbean Adventures page.

ACT Staff

(*1) Reference:  Worldometers’ COVID-19 data. As of January 9th 2021, Grenada is one of the 2 or 3 major Caribbean islands with the fewest number of COVID-19 cases and is one of the safest countries globally as well.

  • #197 of 220 countries worldwide – For quantity of active cases
  • #161 of 220 countries worldwide – For quantity of active cases relative to population